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... SOFAWOLF HOWLS ... [06/2003]

(13 x 21 cm) Paperback, 450 pages

Best in Show to Debut at
AnthroCon and
Comic Con International: San Diego, July 18-20, 2003


This first-ever anthology of furry fiction features twenty-six of the best stories from long-running literary magazines such as Anthrolations, PawPrints Fanzine, The Ever-Changing Palace, Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe, and Yarf!

It includes stories by Lawrence Watt-Evans, Watts Martin, Michael H. Payne, Gene Breshears, Brock Hoagland, Mel. White, Phil Geusz, and many others.

The book also features a full color cover by Ursula Vernon and several interior illustrations from the original publications, with informative introductions by Fred Patten, Gene Breshears, Phil Geusz, and Tim Susman.

Available for purchase at AnthroCon and
Comic Con International: San Diego the weekend of July 18-20, 2003.
Available for purchase online shortly afterward at Black-Paw-Productions.


(22 x 28 cm) Bound, 70 pages

Artistic Visions: The Art of "Herbie"


Breaking new ground in art-related publication, Sofawolf Press announces the first in what managing editor Mark Brown hopes will be a series of books featuring the sketches of prominent anthropomorphic artists.

This product line, called the "Artistic Visions" series, will include illustrations selected by the artist from their private sketchbooks and presented with comments describing the situation, technique, or style behind the drawing.

The first volume features the animation illustration of Disney Feature Animation artist "Herbie". Most recently lending his talents to the upcoming Brother Bear, Herbie has been involved with many of the recent Disney theatrical releases since The Lion King.

Featuring over 64 pages of art and an extensive interview with the artist, this collection is a fascinating look into Herbie's artistic style and philosophy for cartooning students and aficionados alike.

Upcoming Projects and Releases

Anthrolations #7 (November 2003)
Our highly acclaimed flagship publication continues with stories by M.C.A. Hogarth, Tim Susman, Michael H. Payne, and others. Issue #7 will feature a full color cover by professional animator John Nunnmacher.

Heat (Summer, 2003)
We made the decision about amonth ago to delay the release of our more adult magazine for half a year to retool and refine the concept. We want this to be something totally WOW -- and think the results will be worth waiting for.

HistoriMorphs #2 (Summer, 2003)
After a one year hiatus because the editor was in Italy on job assignment during a crucial part of last year, we are pleased to announce the planned return of HistoriMorphs! Watch for more details soon.

Shadows in Snow: More Tales from New Tibet (Winter, 2003)
The critically acclaimed Breaking The Ice introduced readers to the harsh, snowy world of New Tibet. Return there with a volume of all-new stories of love, despair, and snow.

For those of you who have been here before, welcome to our new web site design. We hope it will be easier for you to find the information you need, and friendlier to a wider range of web client software. Be sure to try out our new online ordering system in the products section, and enjoy the new sofawolf.com experience. Some sections are still under development though, so bear with us while we retool for the future.

If this is your first time visiting us, then our warmest greetings to you. If you've come here seeking the best collections of anthropomorphic fiction, then we think you've found them. If you've come here looking for one of the only semi-pro literature markets specializing in the anthropomorphic meta-genre, then we think you've found it too. If you have no idea what anthropomorphic even means in this context, then we hope to enlighten and intrigue you enough that you become one of the prior two visitors.

What is 'anthropomorphic' anyway?

An·thro·po·mor·phic \"an(t)-thr&-p&-'mor-fik\ adj [Late Latin anthropomorphus of human form, from Greek anthrOpomorphos, from anthrOp- + -morphos -morphous] (1827) 1 : described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes < ~ deities> 2 : ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things < ~ supernaturalism>. (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary [Springfield: Merriam-Webster Inc, 1988] 90.)

So, we publish stories about talking toasters and dust mites, right? Well, not toasters, but we'd happily consider any talking dust mite stories sent our way. Our use of the term anthropomorphic is specific to talking animals. (For those fellow biologists out there, specifically the kingdom Metazoa in the grouping of Eukaryotic organisms.) This includes a diverse assortment of critters, but are most often represented in fiction by insects, reptiles, avians, and the ever-popular mammals. (Also mythological things like werewolves, dragons, griffons, and such...)

While the first thing to spring to mind is probably children's literature, which is loaded with anthropomorphic stories and illustration, there are plentiful examples of the same devices at use in adult fiction. The most recognizable examples include: Watership Down by Richard Adams, and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Many SF&F genre writers often employ anthropomorphic characters in their novels for purposes ranging from serious human allegory to the simple addition of color and texture into the character base. Anthropomorphic characters can be goofy and farcical, violent and primal, noble and loyal, or petty and self-serving. They express the range of human emotion (often magnified or twisted by their animal natures) and can be either the focus of the story, a supporting character in the story's development, an obstacle to the hero's journey, or a traveling companion and source of wisdom.

In recent years, anthropomorphic comics (which, with the addition of comic strips, account for a large percentage of the total material in active publication) such as Albedo and Xanadu have gained a strong and creative following of fans who not only follow the stories but contribute works of their own. The support for anthropomorphics in general has been steadily growing over the last fifteen years and now supports not only many thriving amateur publications, but also a dozen conventions a year worldwide.

We invite you to browse our offerings in the product catalog, visit other anthropomorphic themed sites referenced in our links section, and explore the topics in our online features area. We hope you find much to captivate and educate you.

 

 
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